Ike Davis Trade: Mets Ship First Baseman To Pirates For Minor League Reliever

The Ike Davis trade seemed a certainty for weeks, and on Friday the New York Mets finally pulled the trigger to send the up-and-down first baseman to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Mets will received right-handed reliever Zack Thornton and a player to be named later, while the Pirates land the enigmatic Davis. The first baseman has struggled with injury and inconsistency, at times looking like a strong middle-of-the-lineup hitter but other times struggling to find the ball.

This year he started off on a hot streak, including a walkoff grand slam in the team’s first week.

The Mets had been shopping Davis since the offseason, and reportedly were holding out for a good return.

Though he had plenty of time to get used to it, Ike Davis said it felt strange to be leaving New York when the trade finally went down.

“Honestly, it’s a little weird,” Davis said. “I’ve been with the Mets organization for a long time, and made some really good friendships and stuff like that. That’s the toughest part, I think.

“I really had a blast in New York. I made my dreams come true, childhood dreams come true, playing in the big leagues here. But it’s just a stepping-stone. It happens to a lot of people, getting traded. Now [I’ll] go help my team in Pittsburgh.”

The Mets will get a solid prospect in Thornton, who is 2-0 with a 1.23 ERA in four appearances in Triple-A this season.

For the Mets, the trade was also way to get Ike Davis a change of scenery.

“We’re very happy with the trade,” Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said. “We’re happy for Ike, in the sense that he’ll get another opportunity elsewhere. It’s a situation that we needed to resolve here, and we’re happy with the return.”

The Ike Davis trade means that outfielder Chris Young will take a spot on the Mets roster.